With the rapidly growing popularity of robotics in the state of Mankato, MNCEME teamed up with Aaron Barker from St. Cloud Community & Technical College and Andrew Dahlen from Northland Community and Technical College to offer the first ever Mankato VEX Robotics Summer Camp. South Central College kindly agreed to host the camp August 8-12 where 25 anxious high school students converged to learn and experiment with VEX robotics and the 2016 competition challenge Starstruck.

KEYC Mankato did a short news story on the robotics camp. Check it out.

SCRUBS Camp

SCRUBS Camp Group Photo

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

Mankato SCRUBS Camp

MNCEME had the great opportunity to once again work with a number of greater Mankato region organizations like Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato Clinic, Rasmussen College, South Central College, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Advanced Pain Management, Prosthetic Labs, and Mankato ISD 77 on the second annual Mankato SCRUBS Camp which was held June 13-15.

Students in attendance had the opportunity to learn about a variety of health field related careers including audiology, nursing, regenerative medicine, dental hygiene and assisting, EMT, phlebotomy, pharmacy technician to name only a few. Students also were able to tour local businesses and colleges as well as meet a variety of meet professionals.

MNCEME along with Minnesota State University’s Women’s Center had the opportunity to host a 5-day girls STEM camp June 30-24, 2016. Girls grades 5-8 had the opportunity to explore various STEM disciplines through hands-on activities introducing them to regenerative medicine, computer information science, robotics, microbiology, engineering, astronomy, physics, mathematics, and biology. Participants were also able to meet and have lunch with women currently in STEM fields like engineering, computer science and web design. This year students also got the opportunity to explore the arts through puppet making in addition to STEM disciplines. Support for the camp was also provided via a grant awarded by Regenerative Medicine Minnesota.

To watch more about this event clink the link for an piece by KEYC Channel 12: News Story Link

ZAP 3D Printing & Civil Engineering Camps

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp – Printing on a MakerBot

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

3D printed objects

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

ZAP Civil Engineering Camp

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

Dr. Sungwon Kim (Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering) was able to deliver a student favorite again this year! ZAP 3D Printing Camp was held June 15-17, 2016 using curriculum adapted from 3D printing activities in his freshman ME 101 “Introduction to Engineering – Mechanical” course at MSU, Mankato.

By the end of the three day camp students were able to select and download an existing CAD file of their choosing from the internet, convert it into 3D print files using computer software and print them using 3D printers housed in the Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering under the watchful eye of two Minnesota State University, Mankato students. Once the pieces were finished they were able to take them home to enjoy.

Dr. Aaron Budge (Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering) presented a three day camp on civil engineering July 12-14 which allowed students to learn not only about what civil engineers do, but also what other types of engineers do. Some of the activities students participated in included using West Point Bridge software to design bridges for specific challenges, building bridges out of spaghetti and hot glue, designing, building and testing mechanically stabilized earth walls and many more projects. Many projects required students to required students to utilize the engineering design process of asking a question, imagining, planning, creating, improving and in most cases starting the whole process again!

2015 Summer Camps

Girls Explore STEM Camp

Campers Examining Animals While Learning About Veterinary Medicine

Examining Pond Organisms

Participating in a Scavenger Hunt on Campus

Making Dry Ice Bubbles

Learning about Veterinary Medicine

Learning About 3D Printing

Examining Planarian Regeneration

Girls Explore STEM Camp Participants

MNCEME along with Minnesota State University’s Women’s Center had the opportunity to host a 5-day girls STEM camp July 6-10, 2015. Girls grades 5-8 had the opportunity to explore various STEM activities introducing them to regenerative medicine, computer coding, robotics, 3D printing, engineering, astronomy, veterinary medicine, and biology. Participants were also able to meet and talk to women currently in STEM fields like engineering, neuroscience, wireless communication, web design, and allied health.

ZAP 3D Printing Camp

3D Printing Campers And Their Projects

3D Printing Campers And Their Projects

3D Printing Campers

Dr. Sungwon Kim (Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering) delivered the 3D Printing ZAP Camp in June 2015, the curriculum of which was adapted from 3D printing activities in his freshman ME 101 “Introduction to Engineering – Mechanical” course at MSU, Mankato. Approximately 20 students grades 4-7 from schools in Mankato and the surrounding area were exposed to the three days of engineering and 3D printing related activities. Activities were focused on helping students answer the following questions.

What is engineering? What do engineers do? How do engineers make things? What is 3D printing? What are the major steps required to print a 3D printed piece? How can we create a computer file required to print a 3D printed piece? How does a 3D printer work? What kinds of 3D printers are available and how much do they cost? Will 3D printing change the world? What kinds of new social issues will 3D printing create?

All students were able to select and download an existing CAD file of their choosing from the internet and convert them into 3D print files using computer software and eventually print them using 3D printers housed in the Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering. They were able to take home the completed pieces at the end of the camp.

Camp participants were able to get a flavor of 3D printing and also how 3D printed with engineering in general.